The present invention relates generally to the slicing of food materials, and more particularly to an apparatus for use in conjunction with food material slicing which apparatus substantially prevents the curling of food material slices during the slicing thereof.
Automated slicing is commonly used in the processing of various food materials. In some slicing applications, a food material supply is held in a magazine which, is repeatedly moved through a fixed slicing zone against a knife to successively obtain a series of slices from the food material. Typically in such slicing application, the movement of the food material supply magazine against the knife has a reciprocating or oscillating cycle wherein each cycle produces a food material slice during forward movement of the food material supply against the knife. Often the slices are obtained in such slicers by "throwing or ejecting" them onto a transfer surface during completion of the slicing movement. The transfer surface may include a food material packaging tray or it may include a surface such as a food transfer conveyor.
Curling of the food material slice is a problem which occurs with food slicers of the type described above. Quite often the curling which occurs may be exacerbated by the temperature of the food material supply. If the food material supply is somewhat frozen, the food material slice curls excessively as it is sliced because of the low temperature of the food material, much like a wood chip obtained from a carpenter's plane. However, where the food material is too warm, energy is imparted to the food material slice during the slicing process which warms the surfaces of the slice which may cause it to become tacky and partially adhesive in nature whereupon it has a high probability of adhering to the surfaces it contacts such as the slicing knife and or transfer assembly. Accordingly, a range of desired temperature exists at which the tendency of a food material slice to curl or adhere to processing components is tolerable. However, even within this range, curling nevertheless occurs. The curling which occurs may detrimentally affect the ability of the slice transfer or knife components, to properly convey the food material slices. Where a vacuum-assist transfer component located adjacent the slicing knife is not used, the curl of the slice may detrimentally affect the trajectory of the slice as it is sliced and hurled onto a transfer component.
The curling of such food material slices may affect other components in the food material production line. For example, in slicing assemblies which utilize a vacuum assist transfer apparatus such as is described in assignee's commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,268, issued Sep. 24, 1991, the food material slice sometimes curls to the extent that the ability of the vacuum transfer drum to securely hold the slice on the outer surface thereof is impaired. Because the slice is not securely held, the ability of such a transfer system to eject the slice using pressurized air is also impaired.
Some attempts at removing the curl from such food material slices have involved the use of a passive, fixed constriction formed by positioning two spaced-apart, stationary surfaces closely to the knife to define a constricted opening between them through which the food material slice passes on its way to a take-off conveyor or other processing component. Such devices have limited success in removing slice curl and possess their own inherent problems. Some of these problems stem from the movement of the slice through the stationary surfaces forming the opening. Such movement generates frictional forces which are transferred to the slice. Due to the positioning of this constriction, the leading edge of the food material slice typically contacts the lower fixed surface and imparts a frictional force thereto. Additionally, a gravitational force is also exerted upon the severed food material slice which is cumulative to the frictional forces described above.
The present invention is thus directed to a device which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages and provides an apparatus which enables a substantial increase in slicing speed to be achieved in an associated slicing assembly. The present invention provides a constriction located in close proximity to the slicing assembly having a moving lower surface which moves at a speed at least equal to the speed at which the slices are being sliced from the food material supply. As mentioned above, because this lower surface exerts the most influence on the food material slice movement and the provision of a moving surface is part of the constriction, individual successive food material slices are uncurled without significantly altering their course of movement through the constriction.
The invention further includes a planar slice thickness plate having a series of grooves which accommodate an equal number of elastic bands or flexible belts. The bands preferably interconnect two rollers and travel around them. The leading edge of the plate includes a rounded surface to prevent chafing of the belt as it travels between the rollers. This leading edge further provides a change in direction of the bands to position the moving lower surface of the constriction a preselected distance away from the portion of the knife assembly which serves as the fixed upper surface of the constriction. The bands serve to direct the slice(s) onto a suitable transfer roller for transfer to another work station on the production line.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for flattening or otherwise straightening a slice of food material freshly cut from a food material supply.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a food slice decurling device particularly suitable for use with a food material slicing apparatus in which a food material supply is reciprocatably moved through a food slicing zone, whereby movement of the food material supply in one direction causes the food material supply to contact a cutting edge and to produce a slice of food material and, wherein the decurling device includes a constriction positioned proximate to the slicing apparatus knife edge, the constriction having a first stationary surface forming the upper portion of the constriction and a second, moving surface forming the lower portion of the constriction.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for removing the curl from successive slices of food material sliced from a food material supply wherein the apparatus includes a moving surface provided proximate to a slicing knife, the moving surface being formed by a plurality of moving elements, such as elastic bands, the bands forming the lower surface of a constriction disposed proximate to the slicer and further moving at a speed nominally equal to or greater than the speed at which slices are made from the food material supply.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numeral refer to like parts.